Tara

Absu are a funny beast and no mistake, but they're no less impressive for being a bit out of the ordinary. In the simplest of terms, they're a Black Metal band but that doesn't describe the half of their sound in truth. The album opens with the sound of bagpipes, before nearly cracking your skull open with one of the finest blastbeats ever heard, announcing the arrival of the first track proper 'Pillars Of Mercy', a song that contains some double bass drumming so fast, Dave Lombardo would think twice before attempting to play it. Very impressive, and a cracking way to open an extreme Metal album. Absu are in fact from Texas but all the band have Celtic ancestry, which both explains the bagpipes at the start of the album and also supplies them with most of their lyrical subjects. The sound, whilst predominantly Black Metal, also contains a healthy pinch of old-school Thrash Metal such as Nuclear Assault or Destruction, and it sounds great. When they drop the pace a little bit from the frantic beginning, there are some superb old fashioned riffs that are tailor-made for headbanging. If you're a serious Black Metal fan, chances are you'll already own this album. If not, you really should. Also, if you like your classic Thrash Metal and don't mind something a bit heavier and even faster, you're sure to enjoy it as well.

Oh my god.......I was listening to the soundbites of metal trying to find something new to listen to. I came across Tara and thought "this sounds interesting" so I downloaded it.To put the album in context, I like complex riff laden music i.e. Sepultura's Beneath the Remains and fast stuff such as Slayer's Reign in Blood. I also like Progressive Metal such as Paradise Lost by Symphony X. If you like any of the above styles then this could be for you.First listen I knew it was good so I persisted on. You will need to unless you are an all out extreme metallist. The vocals are raspy and very harsh and this is what takes some getting used to for me.The album opens with Bagpipes which in no way prepares you for the aural assault that is 'Pillars of Mercy'. A blistering opener, first thing to notice is the incredible drumming of Proscriptor (the drummer AND vocalist). This is without doubt the fastest drumming I have ever heard so how does he sing as well? He must have as many appendages as an octopus. Not only is the drumming fast it is also technically superb the fills, rolls and double bass kicking is out of this world. Of course this is all matched by the mega riffs, however the bass does get a bit lost in the mix. Next comes 'A Shield With an Iron Face' now I begin to hear that not only is this awesomely fast it is also super technical. The riffs just keep on coming which makes the music sound extremely chaotic. Track four 'The Cognate House.......' is one of my favourites, with this one I begin to hear a progressive style to the music also and the album is starting to sound like an epic. I have heard music that is fast just for fasts sake - not this one though. It is very fast but it is also full of fantastic riffs and amazing melodies (check out 'She Cries the Quiete Lake' to see what I mean. Then we have a short interlude before the next phase of the album and then its back to the speed with some truly blistering drumming on track 7. From track 8 it takes a progressive feel with amazing riffing and track 9 sounds to me like a continuation of 8 which gives it that progressive sound. Track 10 'Bron' is an excellent track and shows that the band have other skills that just thrashing. It is a short acoustic piece which goes into 'Stone of Destiny' and, oh yes, this is amazing, it is a slower piece check out the amazing Dio-esque vocals on this one. The album finishes the way it started with bagpipes - phew that was awesome.The only way I can describe this music is in terms of how it makes me feel, which is excited and awestruck. If you like extreme, black/thrash/death and maybe progressive metal you should really own this. For me it is certainly up there with the classics and can stand with thrash masters Sepultura and Slayer. It takes the speed elements of Reign in Blood and the riff elements of Beneath the Remains. Which is some accolade.

On your first listen to this album, you could be forgiven for mistaking it as Korn. But before you turn away in disgust, let me tell you that this is not another group of nu–metal clones. Absu are just another band with a penchant for bagpipes, and apart from the intro, there are no other similarities.Absu are weird. The Texans all apparently have Irish or Scottish heritage (which explains the bagpipes) and are very proud of it; their Celtic influences simply pour from their music. Vocalist/drummer, Proscriptor has divided the album into two ‘phases’, called "Ioldanach's Pedagogy" and "The Cythraul Klan's Scrutiny". Each of these carries the story on (which I shall not go into in detail here), and also splits the album into nice, manageable chunks.The first song proper on this album, "Pillars of Mercy", blasts out of your stereo like a freight train. The first thing to strike you about Absu is the immense drumming talent of Proscriptor. The intro to "Pillars of Mercy" features some of the fastest blastbeats I have ever heard, but he manages to combine these with complex rhythms to produce an amazing sound, which is, quite possibly, the best introduction to any song ever. The track then breaks down into a high–tempo Black Metal assault that the band race through with style.The diversity of the songs on offer is amazing. From the warp speed "Pillars of Mercy" and "Manannan", to the slower album closer, "Stone of Destiny", Tara has it all. There is even an acoustic instrumental, which fits in with the overall feel of the album.In the band’s own words, Tara "balances a collation between tyranny, puissance, alchemical science, and magick". No, I haven’t got a clue what that means either, but who cares when it sounds good?

In my opinion this is another winner from one of the most powerful black metal bands to come out of America.The songs are simple but manage to barrage your eardrums with a collection of super- fast, dark, heavy-thrash songs that leave you begging for more. I was a bit dubious about the bagpipes at the start and the title isn't really up to much but the overall content is superb. Brings to mind Marduk and Lord Belial. A must for any true black metal fan.